Origins
by Reunion Resurrection
Summary: [Super Paper Mario]Count Bleck's tale of how his minions came to him.[CONTAINS SPOILERS]
1. Nastasia

Super Paper Mario

The origins of Bleck's minions.

Rated K+.

Contains spoilers

* * *

**Origins**

.n.a.s.t.a.s.i.a.

_bleck_

It had been a week since I had begun to read the Dark Prognosticus, a week since I turned my father's grand marble castle into a dark fortress, a week since I had killed the man who took my love away, and a week since I had started to search for her. He had told me that I would never find her, but the newly-obtained power from the Prognosticus, along with the magical cane that had materialized in my hand after I murdered my father, made me confident and impulsive. As one of the Tribe of Darkness, I was already born with the power of magic, but I could do so much more with the spirit of the book in me.

However, Bleck's voice of doubt continued to irk me while I tried to figure out a way to find her. My split personalities raged inside me, trying to fight for control over my mind. When Blumiere was in charge, I was more optimistic about the future, like I was when alongside her; but when Bleck dominated, I was always second-guessing everything I did if it was not stated in the Prognosticus. I would always find a way where my plans couldn't work. Since I had only changed recently, the two inside of me seemed to be on equal planes. I guessed that as time went on, Blumiere would fade away, leaving only Bleck to inhabit my consciousness.

_Even if my spirit's enhanced powers give you the ability to travel dimensions, how are you going to find her, trial and error? Do you even have a _clue_ as to how many dimensions exist? _Bleck asked suddenly while I scanned to pages of the book on anything about space, time, or dimension travel.

I cringed when I heard it yell at me from the inside. That was probably my greatest obstacle: finding her exact location, and if I did find her, what if I was too late? What if the deterioration curse my father put on her killed her by the time I came? That was his classic way of getting rid of people, the Hex of Gradual Death. It usually simply made the victim believe he or she was poisoned, but no antidote could cure their symptoms. The spell was easy to reverse, but it could only be done by one of the race that inflicted the curse. Not only those of the Tribe of Darkness could cure her, but also ones from the Tribe of Ancients. I hoped with all my strength that she would land in a dimension where an Ancient resided.

I came to several passages about going to other dimensions. It was not stated, however, how to _get_ to the other dimensions. I assumed that I would have to practice my space-time traveling skills. I closed the book, and, using my magic, I teleported the Dark Prognosticus back to its pedestal.

I walked out of the castle, which I now named Castle Bleck after my new identity, and into the surrounding fields. The darkness of my palace slowly but steadily consumed the surrounding area. In another year, the entire world would be mine. All living things that fell under this darkness would become my eternal servants. Because I despised my own family with such fury, any of the Tribe of Darkness would be instantly killed when the spirit of the Dark Prognosticus went over them. At this point in time, my influence only reached an acre outside the original castle grounds.

Once I reached the creeping line of darkness, I decided to take a rest. I had walked quite far, though I probably should have used magic to float. I picked a small cave in a mountain face, and sat down against the cool stone wall.

I closed my eyes and listened to the dripping water off the stalactites echo in the cave. Quiet and repeating sounds such as this always helped me clear my thoughts, even when they were simply a jumbled mess of vengeance and anger. For a fleeting moment, I felt like she was near again, feeling the calm she brought me spread over myself.

When the thoughts of my past came up, I started to remember her voice, her touch, her scent, and almost everything about her.

"Timpani…," I muttered to myself.

A loud, at least in the echo-filled cave, flutter of wings broke me from my trance. The sound stopped for a second, then picked up again, like a small bird was stuck. It did not seem like whatever had gotten trapped freed itself because the flapping continued.

I stood up and turned in the direction to where the noise was originating.

"I commands light." I used a glow orb spell to see what was wrong. The blue crystal on the end of my cane illuminated. A colony of bats flew out of the cave once the orb was made, but one stayed behind. The single left-behind had its left wing stuck in a cave crevice. I reached up and gently pulled the bat loose, and it flew away.

_There's still some common good in you, even when I'm not telling you what's actually right, _Blumiere praised.

"The ghost of the Dark Prognosticus will soon completely consume this member of the Tribe of Darkness. Bleck will make sure of it!" Bleck answered aloud for him. The spirit was growing stronger than my Dark but mortal soul. He started to take over my physical reactions. Blumiere scoffed anyway, smug; he seemed to be confident that he would still survive one way or another.

* * *

Later that night, an unfamiliar voice woke me suddenly.

"Um, hello?"

My eyes shot open. I used my magic to grab my can from the other side of the room, and I jumped out of bed. Pointing the crystal end at the intruder, I started to charge my energy for an attack.

"Who dares invade Castle Bleck?" As the magic powered up, the light emitting from the crystal revealed my uninvited guest.

"I'm not here to attack, 'K?" the short girl replied. She pushed her pink hair back over her ear. "I'm here to help. Thanks for helping me today. If I didn't get out, I might have starved or something. I owe my life to you."

I relaxed my position. "You are the bat I helped today?"

"Yeah. I'm, like, pledging my loyalty for you. For the rest of my game." Although it was hard to see with only the moonlight and the glow of my cane, it seemed that one could mistake this bat girl for one of the Tribe of Darkness from her blue skin. This, of course, was impossible due to the darkness that surrounded my castle.

"Do you have a name?"

"I'm Nastasia. And you are…?"

"Lord Blumiere— I mean Count Bleck."

Nastasia became my first minion.

* * *

The next morning, she made herself my secretary and assistant, helping with whatever needed to be done. Often times, I would see her staring at me longingly, and I knew that she had feelings for me. I told her everything about what I was doing, however, so I made it clear that my heart belonged to someone else, even if that someone's game had already ended. Being my first minion, I told only her my whole tale. I needed at least one person near me to know what happened that made me set in motion the Dark Prognosticus.

I asked her once, "How and why did you become a person?"

"When you saved me, I kinda felt that you had something on your mind about love. I dunno how, but I got some magic from you probably, and I used that to turn myself into this." Nastasia gestured to herself with the hand she was not using for writing. "I, um, wanted to help fill the hole that was left when you lost love or something."

"You are pledging loyalty to me out of love and compassion?"

"Yeah. I know that you've already told me that I can't fill her spot, but I'm sticking with you 'til the end. You saved my life, I'll help yours."

One night when it felt like there was no evil business to be done, Nastasia took it upon herself to create herself an outfit. All this time, she wore the simplest of white dresses with her pink hair falling to her shoulders. Before as a bat, she had amazing hearing, but average eyesight. Once in a humanoid form, her hearing was normal, but her sight was terrible.

After raiding through my mother's walk-in-closet, which had stayed untouched after the darkness consumed the castle, Nastasia came out completely different.

"So um, what do you think? Do I look enough like a secretary?" With a cuffed blouse with a large brooch at the top center, grey pantsuit bottom, and white knee-high boots, she looked like a professional woman. Her hair was in a simple bun at the top of her head, and she wore red-rimmed triangular glasses. I couldn't have cared less, however.

"Bleck finds you adequate." I commented indifferently. She seemed disheartened at my apathy, but Nastasia tried to hide it. I knew she was trying to impress me with her outfit, but I still quested for my lost lover.

With a swish of my cape, I returned to the study to read more into the Dark Prognosticus. She followed.

After a few minutes of filing papers of plans and theories of dimensional travel, Nastasia asked me what the next step of the prophecy was.

Without looking up from the book, I answered, "We must find a defeated man of a high rank _in another dimension_." She stifled a gasp; I had told her of my inexperience as a dimension traveler. "Bleck must follow the Prognosticus."

Nastasia nodded. "I know. Just, um, be careful and don't end us up in, like, the Underwhere."

I bit my lip and raised my cane, creating an individual box around myself and Nastasia. I let the volume down back on its pedestal. With a shine in the blue gem, I teleported us to the second minion.

* * *

Author Note: Thanks for reading! I started this when I was getting really stumped when trying to write Chapter 3 of Somewhere. Origins will probably have only 4 chapters for Bleck's four minions. I'm almost done writing the second chapter (I won't tell why the are looking for). Also, I may edit Somewhere a little bit to make it a little more accurate to the game and add different time-lapse signs. Please read and review! 

-Tea Bag's Hex


	2. O' Chunks

Super Paper Mario

The origins of Bleck's minions.

Rated K+.

Contains spoilers.

**Origins**

.o. .c.h.u.n.k.s.

_bleck_

Dimension traveling is a peculiar thing. Many would think that while going to a different dimension, it feels like you're flying through an endless stream of space. Instead, it is like closing your eyes and then opening them to see that you're in a completely different area than your starting point. At least, that is your experience if you do not linger between dimensions.

Once Nastasia and I arrived in the dimension to find my next minion, another traveler of the dimensions came at the same time.

"Ah ha ha ha ha! I saw you flying through the space-time stream, like a hummingbird flying toward the flower it will suck dry! It's quite a rare site to see fellow dimension travelers." The jester floated up an around us, his comedy mask never changing his smiling expression.

"And who might you be, asked Count Bleck?" I questioned him.

"Count Bleck, what an odd name! Sound devious, sinister. Devious and sinister people are so much fun to be around, don't you agree?" He flew around us some more, sometimes doing aerial maneuvers like barrel rolls and somersaults, before he finally landed in front of Nastasia and me. "You want to you my name? My name is as unimportant as a tax worker knowing the diameter of his desk lamp's base. But I will tell you, Count Bleck, and…"

"Nastasia," she answered.

"Wonderful name! I will tell Count Bleck and Nastasia my name." The cheerful jester went up into the air once again. "I am the master of dimensions, the pleaser of crowds. I am Dimentio! And I wish to tag along with you two, doing devious and sinister deeds as the Count's name implies!"

Nastasia turned to me and whispered, "Is this guy the one that the Prognosticus says for you to let on the team?"

I shook my head and replied, "We are looking for someone of great physical strength. This Dimentio may have powerful magic and dimension-warping skills, but we do not need him."

I turned to him to reject his offer, but it seemed that he had heard what Nastasia and I discussed.

"So your Prognosticus guide states that you do not need my service?" Somehow, his mask's expression changed from a jolly grin to a disappointed grimace. "And extra like me could help so much, like a calculator helps a struggling algebra student."

"Yeah, I'll set an interview appointment if we decide to let you in, 'K?"

"I am sorry, but we must follow it word for word." With that, Nastasia and I left him.

Believing that we could not hear him, Dimentio said to himself, "They'll let me in eventually." He swore this in such a way that sent chills down my spine.

As we walked more into this dimension, the more torn-apart it looked. Houses were burning, dead bodies were scattered around, and the survivors looked at us with fearful eyes. The sounds of gunshots grew louder while we neared the end of the broken neighborhood.

"Seems like a war-zone," Nastasia observed.

"'Oy! Are ye 'ere teh 'elp Gen'ral O' Chunks?" piped up someone inside a house. A little child ran out of it, looking up at me with grey eyes. Although her innocence let her have more hope than the adults, the girl's eyes held evident despair.

Her mother came and picked her up. "Fer teh Overthere's sake, please tell meh yer 'ere the 'elp our good gen'ral."

"Count Bleck is sorry. We are searching for one of great strength."

"That be the Gen'ral! What'd ye want with 'im? 'E an 'is army be the only ones protectin' what's left of our country from them invaders."

"Invaders?"

"Ay. We be livin' on valuable grounds, 'cordin' teh them. Want teh use the country fer jewel mines, but we be livin' 'ere!"

A rumbling much louder than the gunshots came from behind us. When I turned around to see the source of the noise, I was met with a giant tank. The war machine crawled towards the neighborhood, threatening to run over a house's fence. The tank's treads stopped just before touching the top of the fence. Everyone came out of what was left of their homes to watch the lid of the tanker slowly open.

When the top was totally vertical, one large man with an equally large red beard hopped out on top of the tank.

"'Oy! Them invaders be finished!" the soldier yelled. He removed his helmet and bowed to the cheering locals, his bald head gleaming with sweat from a difficult battle.

"War be over! War be over!" they rejoiced. How I wished for _my_ war to be over.

Nastasia and I were invited to the end-of-battles celebration party. The festival was held in the last city that was untouched by the invaders. All of the citizens in the country came to the event, even those in the far corners of the nation.

In the middle of the throng was the red-bearded soldier who brought the news from a tank. He seemed to be the most important of the military leaders from the amount of people that were praising him.

"Um, that colonel with the red beard might be the O' Chunks the townswoman was talking about," Nastasia guessed.

"I believe so; he matches the description in the Dark Prognosticus aptly for physical appearance, but the book states that the warrior should be shrouded in depression and anguish. O' Chunks seems so proud of his accomplishments that he could never be brought down, at least not down to complete despair."

Later that night, I would be proven wrong.

In the inn we stayed in, Nastasia fell asleep almost immediately. I, however, could not stop thinking about who the Dark Prognosticus told me to look for, and as usual I was plagued with thoughts about my lost love. It had been a while since I had real sleep, and sometimes, like tonight, I could not sleep at all.

I looked out the window and into the city. These people may have been saved by their military now, but once I open the Void the most powerful weapons could not stop the destruction. The happy feelings the citizens felt were only temporary. Only anger and sadness linger in your soul.

While I stared out, something on the horizon caught my eye. A wave of something was coming towards the city; in relation to the nearest buildings, each individual in the group was the same size as the tank I saw yesterday.

_The same size as the tank…_

A stroke of realization came over me. I made myself invisible then teleported next to the looming army. My suspicions were true when I saw the insignia on the tanks. The other day I saw a gun in the hand of a dead soldier with the same sign. It was different than the label on O' Chunk's vehicle. It was the mark of the invaders.

I went back to the hotel and shook Nastasia by the shoulder.

"Uh… Wha… What is it?" she asked groggily.

"The invaders are ambushing the city. We must wait out the attack somewhere safe."

Her face tried to construct an expression of surprise, but her sleepiness ruined the effect. I grabbed her by the wrist and teleported us outside, hovering over the doomed metropolis. When the tank shells were fired into the city, the screaming started. Nastasia could hardly keep herself standing; the sounds of battle did not jog her mind.

I kept my eyes on the invaders crushing most everything in their path. Any who tried to fight off them were easily dispatched. The attack was a complete surprise, and the country's military was definitely not prepared for the fight.

The takeover of the city was not a long one. Once it seemed like the end of the fight, I lowered Nastasia and myself to the ground. She collapsed from weariness on the grassy knoll, now tainted by the struggle. I walked toward where the leaders of each army were and eavesdropped on their terms of surrender.

I turned myself invisible and listened to the two men.

"'Oy… 'Ow could ye betray yer own people, Magee? 'Ow could ye betray me, yer friend fer 'ow many years?" the defeated O' Chunks asked the smug-looking man in from of him.

Magee's smirk only widened at the general's words. "Can't ye see? I wanted in on them valuable jewels. I want them riches! Friend? HA! I stayed close teh ye teh plan this 'ere ambush with our 'en'mies'. I found when ye'd be most vulner'ble, then I sayed teh Gen'rel O' Leary when teh attack, takin' out most cit'zens. Soon, this whole country's gonna be a jewel mine, with me reapin' them profits!" He jeered in his face one last time, turned around, and left O' Chunks standing there, staring at the ground. Though no one (visible) was around, he still tried to hide his sobs and tears.

I released the invisibility spell from myself and stepped towards the former general.

"I failed meh people. I couldn't protect 'em, and isn't that what mil'taries are supposed teh do?" He still hadn't looked up from the ground, and was probably speaking to himself.

I answered him anyway. "You cannot win all of your wars and battles."

His head snapped up, wild eyes boring into my head. I could see in his damaged soul that he cared for the country with the same strength that I cared for Timpani, and I saw a mirror-image of myself after I lost her.

"But this war was _dif'frent_! This war was _life o' death_ fer meh people! I fell short, an' now the country be _dead_!" O' Chunks grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me on every word he emphasized. Most people would have never done this to someone who had just walked up to them, but he was having a breakdown from the loss of the war.

Just like the Prognosticus described.

In a matter of seconds, I came up with a plan to persuade him to join my ranks. "What would you do to have this back?"

"Abs'lutely anything…"

"I can recreate this entire dimension, and all the others. If you join Count Bleck, this world will be brought back with no enemies and no jewels for anyone to conquer for." His eyes filled with hope, believing every lie I told through my teeth. "Any homelessness, poverty, hunger, and any other problems will be a thing of the past once the original dimension, this, and all dimensions are destroyed. We will create a perfect world, declared Count Bleck." I do not think I needed my entire speech to coax him to join Nastasia and me.

"Ay! I will come. anything fer meh country. I will join ye, Count Bleck."

I gave myself an ominous half-smile and teleported us back to the still-sleeping Nastasia. I saw O' Chunk's face turn as red as his beard when he laid eyes on her resting form. This was going to be interesting.

I took all three of us back to Castle Bleck once Nastasia woke up. She recorded the events that took place in O' Chunk's dimension and gave him the grand tour of the castle. I returned to the study to read more of the Dark Prognosticus.

When they walked into the room to complete the tour, Nastasia whispered to me, "This O' Chunks guy is a complete oaf."

"Patience, Nastasia. The Prognosticus has led us to him, and so Count Bleck assumes he will show his worth soon enough."

The following weeks were a little slow as we let O' Chunks become more familiar with Castle Bleck. I would see him stumble in one of the drills Nastasia gave, but he did not seem discouraged every time he was punished. He would have a look on his face that reminded me of myself not too long ago, but it didn't change the plans in any way.

Once everything was running smoothly again, I decided to seek the next minion. Once again, I put down the Dark Prognosticus, and I flipped myself, Nastasia, and O' Chunks to the other dimension. Little did I know that someone was pursing us again.


End file.
